If you are a survivor of Typhoon Mawar, but you hesitate to apply for disaster assistance because you think it might affect your Social Security or other federal benefits, FEMA wants you to know there is no need to worry about this.
Applying for disaster assistance or receiving a FEMA grant will not affect any other federal benefits such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or other federal programs.
Another bit of good news is that FEMA grants are not taxable. FEMA disaster assistance is not considered income or a resource when determining eligibility for welfare, income assistance, or income-tested benefit programs that the federal government funds, such as Social Security benefits or disability income.
Disaster grants help survivors pay for temporary housing, essential home repairs, replacement of essential personal property, and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance or other sources. As of June 12, nearly 18,000 disaster survivors have applied for federal assistance and FEMA has provided more than $5.3 million to assist Typhoon Mawar survivors in Guam.
If you haven’t applied for federal disaster assistance yet, please do so at disasterassistance.gov, by using the FEMA mobile app, by calling 800-621-3362 (The Helpline is available 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week at no cost for Guam residents) or by stopping by a Disaster Recovery Center located at Guam Community College, Dededo Sports Complex, C.L. Taitano Elementary School and Inarahan Community Center (open seven days a week 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.).
For an accessible video on how to apply for assistance, check here.
For information on Guam’s disaster recovery, visit our website.